any input to the ig directly or through another staff person >> i did not. >> with this particular case, the level of publicity it has received, why did you not look at all sides of the reports? >> i don't think i had awareness. in preparation for them obviously i went back and looked through the history of what i saw and when i saw it, in my inbox, what i had reviewed. i could see the interim reports and the draft. >> so you made no comment to anyone else at v.a. as far as the report and changes you would like to see to v.a. employees? >> we had plenty of conversations about the report. when the first draft came out,

we were quite surprised there was no mention of the 40 deaths. i personally made no attempt to change that. that wasodd, since all over the news. we had questions from our neighbors and families, you worked for the v.a., did you kill 40 people? that's what people thought. but that is not the most important part of the i.g. report. the most important part was that we have delays in care. that's what we have to fix. i was interested that the report should address the 40 deaths, because my concern was veterans did not have faith in their health care system, and they need to come to us for care if they need health care. >> and, when you mentioned, you said "we."

the part that concerns me, you are the chief of staff, so this news, and wet of do have to move forward, trying to get back to where the disconnect is. when you mentioned "we," who is the "we?" >> i corrected myself to "i" because i'm under oath and can only week to myself. >> but who did you talked with within the department? >> i know there were multiple meetings within vha, leadership, communication staff, with the congressional fault -- folks in vha. it was in the news. we were waiting to get the report to see what it said. we did take immediate action right after the interim report

and we want to know, where else are we falling short, not providing quality care to veterans? we need to get our act together and fix it. what else do we need to put in place? >> is that "we," secretary shinseki, or some staff below you? >> collectively, everyone in the department we have over 300,000 employees in vha. i'm sure almost every single one of them gets up every day to make a difference for veterans, as i do. we don't come to work to try to mislead or hide anything. >> i realize you have employees, but when you said we discussed the report, i'm sure you did not discuss that with the 300,000 employees. just trying to narrow down who the "we" you are talking about -- i know that being the chief of staff that you, that's your job.

that's a very important job. you set the tone, as well as the undersecretary. so i do have a concern about some of your answers today. i yield back. >> one final question. dr. thomas, who do you believe o.i.g.sioned this report? >> i believe the report was initially started because of a hotline call from a physician from phoenix. and after the april 9th hearing, o do so. was directed tyo >> by who? chargedieve congress them with investigating the issue, my believe.

i could be wrong. >> you are correct. >> ok. >> so my question is, how is it you got the final report before congress got it? >> the final draft? >> the final report. >> i did not get the final report-- >> the final draft. call it a draft, call it a report. how did you see the final copy, whatever it was? if you saw the final draft, you saw the final report. how did you see it before congress? >> sorry, i don't know when congress got it. it was publicly or p -- released and i saw the final draft because we had to respond to it before it was published. >> ok. well, it has been your testimony, both of you, that neither one of you knew any of this was happening. is that correct?

>> can you be more specific in your question, sir? any of what was happening? >> i don't know, manipulation of data, problems with scheduling, any issues within delays in care, you were not aware of any? >> in the spring. >> you became aware in july of 2011? >> 2011. >> you were not aware of any delays in care until april 9 of 2014? >> as i said when i started, i think vha miss the boat. >> i'm talking about you, personally. >> from the i.g. >> i am talking what you personally. >> i am a member of vha. >> you tell me you were aware of none of the problems until the hearing on april 9th? >> what i'm trying to explain, as the situation arises, we were

looking at that as an isolated event, as each of the i.g. reports, rather than taking a holistic approach anymore conference of approach -- comprehensive approach and looking them -- at them together. >> so your testimony is you were not aware of any chewing problems -- scheduling problems or delays in care until april 9? >> i was not aware of the extent of the problem. >> what does that mean? >> as i said, each time a report was issued, we would look at it, respond to it, and create an action plan for the national report. >> the interesting thing, what v.a. usually does, it's interesting that they accept all the recommendations in every report that has ever been handed to them. now i see how it works. v.a. are working hand in glove, they are a know what they will agree to. -- already know what they will

agree to. this is the first time i can actually ist v.a. doing things they had in the past certified they had done. >> respectfully, i would not agree with your characterization of our relationship with o.i.g. >> i understand, and i will retract that statement, but you did get the draft, you respond, you make changes, it goes back to -- do you not? it is anortant -- important decision to make between the report and the action plan. >> i'm not talking about the action plan. the i.g. may 23 recommendations in the report? >> 24. >> 20 -- three have already been done. i guess, congratulations to the v.a., for the first time i can recall, for actually moving on the recommendations and not just

certifying them and then we find out months and years later they have not been done. we appreciate you being here. we do apologize for the length you have had to be here today. thank you very much. mr. patrick -- kirkpatrick? >> thank you. i want to thank our staff. we started this at noon, and it has been a long day. but we need to put in this kind of effort to get it right for our veterans. i just want to say, i really appreciate everybody's ever. >> thank you very much. members, i would like each of you to know that sharon was also invited to appear, and we reached out to her attorney, and we never received a response to the invitation that was issued, but she in fact was invited to appear. with that, this hearing is adjourned.

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] >> tomorrow, bob goodlatte talks about some of the issues before his committee, including immigration and border security. he also talks about the recent vote by lawmakers to allow the arming and training of syrian rebels in their fight against isis. and president obama's authority for using military action than forward. >> one of the issues you know the congress has been addressing for about a year now, since i

started raising it last year, not too long after i became chairman of the committee, is the president's duty to faithfully execute the law, and the concern that there are literally dozens of areas where we believe the president has taken that can and phone and done things the law does not allow him to do. one of the areas is deferred action. i believe the program should be terminated, and i have so voted in the legislative package that we passed prior to the august recess. but it also has been on thathort list of issues the congress, the house, has looked at closely in terms of bringing a lawsuit against the president to reestablish the principle of separation of powers and the fact that the president is exceeding his authority. as you know, the house chose a different one, which is the

issue related to the employer mandate in obamacare or the affordable care act. we believe there are many others , instances and opportunities to do that. and i would suggest to you that if the president takes further steps, as he seems to be promising to do -- he deferred it until after the election, i was glad he diverted, but now i want to know -- deferred it, but now i want to know the significance of waiting until after the election to take this action that many of us think violates the law. and if he does do that after the election, i would think that is a strong candidate for the house taking further legal action, because we don't believe he has the authority under the prosecutorial discretion provision in our intended -- immigration laws to take what is intended to give discretion in really tough cases and have it swallow the law itself by applying it to hundreds of thousands of cases.

so this is a serious area that is harming our ability to move forward on immigration reform. >> you can watch the entire interview with congressman goodlatte tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. here are just a few of the comments we recently with the from our viewers. >> i want to say how much i enjoy sees and -- c-span. i listen to the call-in show, and on the weekends, i love the history shows and book shows. i travel quite a bit in the summer, and i take notes from your history programs and sometimes from book reviews, and it has really enhanced my travel because i see things in different places, people and objects that i would not have looked for before hearing and seeing your programs. so you really made my life so much better and so much more interesting, and i thank you so much. i am very disappointed with

c-span. i talked -- called a few times to tell you how much publicity you give to hillary clinton. to my mind, it looks like grandma and grandpa. realize, do they really think she is going to be fit for office? this is a tough job, being president. she has got nothing. >> i want to say how much i enjoyed c-span. i watch it 24 hours a day. i hardly ever watch regular tv. i tuned in to "washington journal" every morning. i go through the senate hearings. weekends are fabulous. book tv, question-and-answer, all the historical topics to cover. i just want to say, thank you so much for c-span. it's a big part of my life. >> continue to let us know what you think about the programs you are watching. call us, e-mail us at comments@c

-span.org. #csend us a tweet at spancomments. cam2015 c-span student competition is underway. open to all middle and high school students to create a documentary on the theme "the three branches and you," showing how a policy or action by the federal government has affected you or your community. 200 cash prices for students and teachers totaling $100,000. for a list of rules, go to studentcam.org. >> in his weekly address, president obama talked about the u.n. response to the isis terrorist group. congressman cory gardner from colorado gave the republican response. he talked about energy independence and jobs.

>> over the past week, the united states has continued to lead our friends and allies in a strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as isil. our in terror -- intelligence committee has not yet detected specific threats against america. right now they pose a threat to the people of iraq, syria, and the -- broader middle east, but its leaders have threatened the united states, and if left unchecked could pose a growing threat. so last month i gave the orders for our military to begin taking positive -- targeted action against isil. since then, american pilots have flown more than 170 airstrike against them in iraq, and france has now joined us in these airstrikes. going forward, we will not hesitate to take action in iraq or syria, but this is not america's fight alone. i will not commit our troops to fighting another ground war in iraq or in syria.

it is more effective to use our capabilities to help partners on the ground secure their own countries' futures. we will use air power, we will train and equip partners, we will advise, we will assist, and we will lead a broad coalition of nations who have a stake in this fight. this is not america versus isil. this is the people of that region versus isil, the world versus isil. we have been working to secure bipartisan support, because i believe we are strongest when the president and congress work together. we have been consulting closely with congress and last week secretary of state carry, secretary defense hagel, and military leaders worked to gain support. a majority of democrats and republicans in the house and senate have approved a key part of a strategy by wide margins, giving our troops the authority they need to train syrian opposition fighters so they can fight isil in syria. powerfules send a

signal to the world -- americans are united in confronting this danger, and i hope congress continues to make sure our troops get what they need to get the job done. meanwhile, more nations are joining our coalition. over 40 countries have offered to help the broad campaign against isil so far, from training and equipment to humanitarian relief to flying combat missions. this week, the united nations continues to rally the world against this threat. america has the unique ability to lead this effort. when the world is threatened, when the world needs help, it calls on america, and we call on our troops, whether it is to degrade and destroy a group of terrorists or to contain a threat like the ebola outbreak in africa. we ask a lot of our troops, and while politics may be divided at times, the american people stand united around supporting our troops and their families. this is a moment of american

leadership, and thanks to them it is a moment we will meet. thanks. >> i'm cory gardner, representative for colorado's fourth congressional district. growing up in a small town on the colorado eastern plains, island communities work best when people of different backgrounds who may sometimes disagree pull together and look out for each other. that's what my parents and grand parents were about, and that's what i try to do for coloradans. americans are at their best when they are giving each other a hand and looking at for those who need help, regardless of race, color, gender, or creed. many of you would agree with me that congress and the president to learn a thing or two like places -- from places like my hometown and the extraordinary people across the nation that were together every day to build a better life for themselves, their families, and their neighbors. we face a norm is challenges today, challenges that if left unresolved will undermine our ability to give -- our children and benjamin the better life --

grandchildren the better life we want them to have. working harder every day, only to see opportunities slip from their reach. higher prices, college tuition, and conditions made worse by the failed policies of the president and senate majority. president obama continues of -- to rely on economic overreaching based on european models of the status quo rather than american ideas of growth and exceptionalism. to be clear, i do not think president obama and the democrats are trying to hurt the economy, but their policies have certainly done damage, and those wrong policies are taking a terrible toll and hurting a lot of people who voted against the president, and a lot of people who voted for him, especially ends struggling to make meet. we care about the victims of these misguided policies because they are our families, our friends, our neighbors. those who agree with us politically, and those who disagree with us. they are americans. president obama and his allies in congress have forgotten that they will -- were elected to

represent all americans. they lined up with special interest actions that have lost jobs, hurt the poor, sold-out the most vulnerable amongst us and left too many behind. for too long, this administration and democrats in the senate have obstructed policies that would get americans back to work. they would have us believe that high unemployed and declining salaries are the new normal, that we should just used to the disappointment of low expectations. that's not good enough for my community, and i know it not good enough -- is not good enough for years. yesterday, the keystone pipeline delay turned six years old. things to the presidential in action, we are no closer to building the hype on today than six years ago. as a result, thousands of americans are missing out on good paying jobs the pipeline would create. americans know that political failures like this are the main reasons washington is broken. republicans agree, and that is why we have repeatedly called for president obama and the senate to take action, pass our jobs bills, and get america working again.

who is hurt most by the obstruction? not the big corporations, not the rich. it is people looking for work, people in need of a good paying job. it is disappointing that the president and his allies have chosen divisive politics rather than fact and common sense. we have a duty to put politics aside and americans first. congress, the house and senate, and the president, have a patriotic duty to fight for all americans. in my home state of colorado, the was the book development of all types -- responsible developing of all types of resources has fueled a responsible energy revolution. not just traditional energy. wind farms and hydropower provide a model of success for the nation. if the president would stop blocking responsible energy development on public land, the nation could benefit even more. putting an end to regulatory overreach would help colorado and parts of our country they continue to struggle. the new energy economy means more jobs, more money for

parents to send kids to college, and more coloradans being more certain that the next generation will have greater opportunities than their own, a greater starting point we can pass on to our children than the one we inherited from our parents. president obama can learn a thing or two from colorado when it comes to energy development. constituents regularly tell me we need more washington -- colorado in washington, and less washington in colorado. colorado support the keystone pipeline because we know that it and if it do not end -- its benefits do not end with more jobs. it would be a major step forward in making north america energy secure. at a time when the middle east is becoming more unstable, a prudent president would embrace energyall of the above strategy. we pass legislation to expedite the approval of liquefied natural gas exports. this bipartisan bill would lift 45,000 people off of him and when it rolls. many of our allies -- off of unemployed rolls. many of our allies are tethered

by countries like russia, which dominate the eastern european energy market. this would make america safer while creating thousands of sorely needed jobs at home. energy independence improves the stability of our families and provides economic security from the threat of terrorism by organizations posing imminent threat to our nation, like isil and others. the president and congressional democrats don't understand this is about -- not about oil countries or billionaire donors. this is about american people who are hurt by their decision to block jobs at the behest of special interests. this is about putting americans back to work and making our nation more secure, about taking away the fear about your children's future, knowing they will not have less opportunity to have a for filling life, but more. this is about sending a message to the world that the united states still believes in what made this nation great, and unyielding belief that a brighter horizon is always within reach, and this is about taking care of our neighbors, no

matter what side of town they live in and what political party they belong to. we don't have to live in an economy whose rationale seems to be managed decline instead of inspiration and innovation. we have the power to change the course of our nation by getting government out of the way and letting america work. we are the united states. we are liberty and opportunity, optimism and resilience. onare together in america the rise. i'm congressman cory gardner from colorado. let's get to work. >> on the next "washington journal," thomas lippman talks about the u.s. efforts to form a coalition of arab states to fight against isis. bloomberg news reporter alex wayne details a new report on reducing the number of uninsured americans. then we talk with local reporters about midterm elections in arkansas, pennsylvania, and kentucky. as always, we take your phone calls and you can join the conversation on facebook and twitter.

"washington journal," lie that 7:00 a.m. -- live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. takes c-span cities tour book tv and american history tv on the road, traveling to u.s. cities to learn more about their history and literary life. this weekend we partner with comcast for a visit to st. paul, minnesota. >> st. paul, 1930's, i would not call it las vegas, but it was a very lively city. the gangsters brought their mol ls. during prohibition you had the biggest jazz artists of the decade here in st. paul. it was a very lively place, partially because the gangsters. virtually every major gangster, kidnapper, and bank robber in america lived and worked within a three block radius of where we are standing today. john dillinger, baby faced here., all were

people don't know that. there are no statues of these gangsters, but this was the epicenter of 1930's crime in the era of john dillinger. the fbi, the federal bureau of investigation, j edgar hoover, had this building as their headquarters. this is a building where all the bootleggers and bank robbers were tried and sent to alcatraz, leavenworth prison, and other prisons across america. it is where it began and where it ended. >> we are standing here at fort snell, looking over the junction of the minnesota and mississippi rivers. st. paul is located up the mississippi river, and the fort was here before the city was. the fort is intimately connected in the creation of st. paul. in the 1830's, there were settlers living on the military property. finally, the army had had enough

of competing them -- with them for resources and felt they should be removed from military property. the settlers moved across the river to the other side and formed what they -- formed what became the nucleus of the city of st. paul. when you think about this region, you think beyond the walls of fort snell. that's what we try to do, push people to think more about what it means when all these cultures come together. what perspectives did they have on this -- these historic events? >> watch our events from st. paul throughout the day on book tv and on american history tv on c-span 3. c-span campaign 2014 debate coverage continues monday night at 7:30 eastern with the pennsylvania governor's race between republican governor tom corbett and democratic opponent tom wolf. thursday night at 9:00, the debate between representative lee terry and state under brad

ashford. and next sunday, the iowa debate between bruce braley and republican joe ennis. c-span 2014, more than 100 debates for the control of congress. >> "the communicators" is next on c-span, with verizon enterprise solutions chief technology officer wade baker, talking about a recent report on data breaches. followed by wells fargo's ceo speaking at the national press club about the role of national services. and live at 8:00 p.m. eastern, a debate between the two candidates in the iowa governor race, terry branstad and democratic state senator jack hatch. >> c-span, created by america's cable companies 35 years ago and brought to you as a public service by your local public -- local cable satellite -- or satellite provider.

>> no doubt you have heard about some of the data breaches at companies such as home depot and target, sony's playstation as well. this week on the -- "the communicators," we will discuss data breaches with wade baker of verizon. verizon has put up a data breach report for 2014. mr. baker is the chief technology officer and security director for verizon enterprise solutions. what does that mean, mr. baker? what the you do? >-- what do you do? >> we research security technologies and try to bring them into our products so we secure corporate customers and consumers. >> what is the definition of a data breach? ,> and unauthorized individual or it could be a group, gains access to a nonpublic -- nonpublic information. the clearest definition of it. could be corporate secrets, could be personal information, could be